1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to apparatus for supporting a workpiece in a fixed location pivotal about dual axes and especially equipment for crafting and repairing jewelry, or for artistic handwork including engraving. More specifically, the present invention concerns a workpiece supporting tool clamp, which may be held and used as an independent work support, or removably mounted on an articulating frame for releasably holding the tool clamp. The tool clamp includes a quick-release connection for easy interchanging of various jewelry-holding tools. The articulating frame enables a jewelry-laden tool clamp to be pivoted about dual axes while maintaining the jewelry held therein in a centralized work zone that remains generally fixed (e.g., fixed within the field of view of a microscope for continuous and constant viewing while crafting the jewelry).
2. Discussion of Prior Art
Jewelry crafting is an art that often demands extremely precise work within relatively tight spaces on materials that are relatively expensive to replace if mistakes occur. Jewelry craftsmen in certain instances perform their work under magnification lenses so that the finished construction of the jewelry item so that the work may be more precisely executed in an artful manner. Many problems relevant to this art are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,744,552, assigned of record to the assignee of the present invention, issued May 17, 1988 and entitled CRAFTSMAN'S JEWELRY SUPPORT TOOL (“Glaser '552 patent”).
The craftsman's jewelry supporting tool disclosed in the Glaser '552 patent was an advance in the field and solved many of the problems identified in the art at the time. However, it has been determined that jewelry craftsmen increasingly are using microscopes to magnify the jewelry item being crafted while the item is supported in a tool. These microscopes are typically fixed to a work surface to continuously project a fixed field of view. The focused field of view magnified by the microscope, however, is fairly limited and narrow. Crafting a jewelry piece typically requires frequent repositioning of either the tool and/or the jewelry piece. Such repositioning of prior art tools is problematic as each repositioning is typically associated with realigning the jewelry piece within the microscope's field of view. Such repositioning and realigning has proven time consuming and frustrating with prior art tools. Additionally, craftsmen often prefer a “feather touch” tool that retains its position but that is quickly and easily repositioned to precise and fine adjustments. Prior art tools are problematic in that when craftsmen exert a force upon the jewelry piece, the tool is prone to movement out of the desired position, whether or not the artisan chooses to rely upon microscopic viewing of the work object.
Jewelry craftsmen will typically perform several different operations on the same piece of jewelry and/or will perform operations on several different sized and configured pieces of jewelry over the course of a single day. These multiple operations often require various differing jewelry-holding tools. It is desirable to utilize a single frame and tool clamp to support the various holding tools. Some prior art tool clamps enable tool changeover, however, this changeover is problematic and subject to several limitations. For example, the changeover is time consuming and difficult to accomplish, such as in the Glaser '552 device wherein the cylindrical grip (64) must be unthreaded from the tool (58) and either held in the craftsman's hand or allowed to fall to the floor. A changeover tool must then be manually aligned with the grip (64) and rethreaded, typically requiring both of the craftsman's available hands. Additionally, the tool (58) can become wedged in the housing (16) and then must be tapped out (e.g., by hand or with a hammer, etc.). Furthermore, the prior art tools that are interchangeable in a tool clamp are relatively cumbersome (e.g., the Glaser '552 tool (58) must extend completely through the housing (16) to threadably engage the grip (64)), and thus are expensive to manufacture and undesirably consume valuable and limited inventory space on a craftsman's work bench.